A rich environment for plant research

Plant researchers at WashU are part of a powerful research ecosystem that stretches across St. Louis. On the Danforth Campus, the three-story Jeanette Goldfarb Plant Growth Facility provides just about any type of growing environment a scientist needs, from desert to tropical.

WashU also maintains close research ties with the Missouri Botanical Garden, a 79-acre expanse of trees, flowers, and shrubs in St. Louis. “The botanical garden gives us access to a huge collection of plants and a number of people with specific expertise,” said Barbara Schaal, the MaryDell Chilton Distinguished Professor.

That partnership grew deeper in 2018 with the launch of the Living Earth Collaborative, a joint project of the botanical garden, WashU, and the Saint Louis Zoo that aims to promote conservation and biodiversity of plants and animals.

WashU also enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a St. Louisbased research institute that supports more than 400 scientists from around the world.

That combination — WashU, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Danforth Center — adds up to a plant research consortium that stands out on the global stage, said Schaal, a renowned expert in plant evolution.

Learn more about Arts & Sciences' plant researchers.

artsci.wustl.edu/PlantPowerhouse